The forgotten instrument on display. Hilarious!
Enjoy a fun Christmas-season Friday.
Writers Learn to Prepare
Preparation is awfully important if you are planning to climb Mt. Everest. If you show up in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip flops, with a sack lunch, it is likely you will perish during the ascent. The same idea applies to the writer. Preparation is one of the keys to success. There Are No Shortcuts Despite numerous methods for efficiency, there is still no shortcut in writing a great book. It is …
Fun Fridays – December 1, 2023
A perfect example of how to write a poignant short story. Chevrolet’s new Christmas video is a wonderful way to start the Advent season.
R Is for Reversion of Rights
You’ve published your book with a publisher. But it has been some time since it was published, and it feels like the publisher is no longer interested in promoting your book. Or the book is “old” enough that the publisher isn’t going to spend new money to sell copies but is simply keeping it available. Or the print edition of the book is no longer available, but it is still …
T Is for Thank You
‘Tis the season in the U.S. to celebrate Thanksgiving and to take a moment to be thankful. Today I would like to thank you. To thank those of you who read our blog regularly either via an email subscription or RSS feed or visiting the site. I am grateful for the time you have invested in reading what we write. Ask any of us, and we will tell you the hours we spend in creating these posts and …
Fun Fridays – November 17, 2023
Writing is a solo creative venture. Or so it may seem. But sometimes, a collaborative effort can make the solo a chorus. Today’s video is an expression of that community effort. Four people playing one guitar. Brilliant! Who are some people in your life who make your creativity greater because of their contributions?
F Is for Foreign Rights
(A version of this post was published in Spring 2022. It has been revised for today.) Those of us in the United States tend to frame the publishing universe within our borders in the English language. We can forget that publishing is a global concern. You may have heard of Penguin Random House (owned by Bertelsmann, a German company) because their various imprints dominate the best-seller list. …
Fun Fridays – November 10, 2023
Dueling percussionists! Enjoy today’s Fun Friday! What they must have been like in their high school marching band pit:
R Is for Reserve Against Returns
Every traditionally published author needs to understand the principle of “Reserves Against Returns,” which is an integral part of publishing economics. It can reduce the amount of money an author receives in their royalty statement. It is usually a shock and elicits a phone call to their agent crying, “What happened to my money?” Did you realize that book publishing is the …
Fun Fridays – November 3, 2023
Sit back and let this performance wash over you. Turn the volume up. “Shall We Gather at the River.” Gorgeous. HT: Dick Malone